Urban Design Study for the Wan Chai North and North Point Harbourfront Areas Public Engagement Stage I Report (June 2016) Commissioned by Hong Kong SAR Government Planning Department Urban Design Study Stage 1 for the Wan Chai North and North Point Harbourfront Areas Public Engagement Report Table of Contents Appendices ............................................................................................................................................. 1 List of Figures ........................................................................................................................................ 1 List of Tables ......................................................................................................................................... 2 List of Photos ......................................................................................................................................... 2 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 3 1.1. Background .............................................................................................................................. 3 1.2. Study Programme and Public Engagement ............................................................................. 3 1.3. Structure of Report .................................................................................................................. 4 2. Stage 1 Public Engagement Events/Activities ..................................................................... 5 2.1. Pre-Engagement Events/Activities .......................................................................................... 6 2.2. PE Events/Activities after Formal Launch of Stage 1 PE ..................................................... 14 2.3. Focus Group Meetings ........................................................................................................... 15 2.4. On-Site Public Events ............................................................................................................ 20 2.5. Resident Workshops .............................................................................................................. 34 2.6. Stage 1 PE Digest and Written Comments Received ............................................................ 41 3. Summary of Key Comments and Responses ............................................................................ 43 3.1. Overall Vision for the Harbourfront Areas and Urban Design Framework .......................... 43 3.2. Activities and Programming at each Character Precinct ....................................................... 44 3.3. Connectivity ........................................................................................................................... 50 3.4. Urban Design and Landscaping ............................................................................................. 52 3.5. Others ..................................................................................................................................... 54 4. Way Froward .............................................................................................................................. 57 Appendices Appendix I Details of Stage 1 Public Engagement Meetings and/or Activities Appendix II Gist of Major Comments from Meeting with Existing Users Gist of Major Comments from Pre-Engagement Meetings with Wan Chai and Eastern Appendix III District Councillors Minutes of Eastern District Council Planning, Works and Housing Committee and Wan Appendix IV Chai District Council Meetings Appendix V Gist of Major Comments from the Focus Group Meetings Appendix VI Gist of Major Comments from On-Site Public Event 1 Appendix VII Gist of Major Comments from On-Site Public Event 2 Appendix VIII Gist of Major Comments from On-Site Public Event 3 Appendix IX Gist of Major Comments from Resident Workshop(s) Appendix X View Collection Form Template Appendix XI List of Commenters List of Figures Figure 1 - Study Programme and Public Engagement Process Figure 2 - Voting results on the proposed activities at Celebration Precinct (On-Site Event 2) Figure 3 - Voting results on the proposed activities at Pierside Precinct (On-Site Event 2) Figure 4 - Voting results on the proposed activities at New Water Recreation Precinct (On-Site Event 2) Figure 5 - Voting results on the proposed activities at Revitalized Typhoon Shelter Precinct (On-Site Event 2) Figure 6 - Voting results on the proposed activities at East Coast Park Precinct (On-Site Event 2) 1 Urban Design Study Stage 1 for the Wan Chai North and North Point Harbourfront Areas Public Engagement Report List of Tables Table 1 - Public Engagement Activities in Stage 1PE Table 2 - Major Discussion Items with Existing User Groups and/or Service Providers Table 3 - Major Discussion Items at FGMs Table 4 - Detailed Rundown for Workshop on Shoreline Evolution (Puppet Show) Table 5 - Detailed Rundown for Weekend Project Exhibition (Idea Café) Table 6 - Detailed Rundown for Cultural and Historical Tour of Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter (Noonday Gun and Floating Tin Hau Temple) Table 7 - Rundown of Resident Workshops List of Photos Photos 1 & 2- Pre-engagement meeting with District Councillors Photos 3, 4, 5 – Interviews with existing users (top left: Jardine Matheson Limited; top right: Floating Tin Hau Temple; bottom: Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club) Photo 6 - FGM with the Harbourfront Commission (HC) Working Group on Urban Design Study Photo 7 - FGM with Green Groups and Concern Groups Photos 8 & 9 – FGM with Professional Institutes Photo 10 – Opening address for the Shoreline Evolution Puppet Show in front of Blue House Photo 11 –Shoreline Evolution Puppet Show in front of Blue House Photo 12 – Comments from Kaifongs at Shoreline Evolution Puppet Show in front of Blue House Photos 13 & 14 – Volunteers and Participants at the Shoreline Evolution Workshop Photos 15 & 16 – Ideas and thoughts put forward by the Workshop participants Photo 17 – Display of Old Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, and North Point waterfront photos Photo 18 – Project Panels & Activities Voting Photo 19 - Idea Café Photo 20 – Staff introducing the Study background and voting activity to participants Photo 21 – Design our Harbourfront activity Photos 22 & 23 – Realize my Harbourfront (sketching) activity Photos 24 & 25 – Activities voting and Design my Harbourfront panels by the end of On-Site Event 2 Photo 26 – Discussion Session at World Trade Centre Photo 27 - Visiting the Floating Tin Hau Temple Photos 28 & 29 - Tour on 19 and 26 July 2015 Photo 30 – District Councillor Dr. Chow Kit-bing delivering an opening speech at the Eastern District Resident Workshop on 2 August 2015. Photo 31 - District Councillor Ms. Kenny Lee delivering an opening speech at the Wan Chai District Resident Workshop on 4 August 2015. Photos 32 & 33 – Discussion Sessions at Resident Workshops (left: Eastern District; right: Wan Chai District) Photos 34 & 35 – Sharing Sessions at Resident Workshops (left: Eastern District; right: Wan Chai District) Photo 36 - Study Website Photo 37 - Stage 1 PE Digest 2 Urban Design Study Stage 1 for the Wan Chai North and North Point Harbourfront Areas Public Engagement Report 1. Introduction 1.1. Background The Wan Chai North and North Point harbourfront is a valuable stretch of reclaimed land centrally located in the Victoria Harbour, presenting a unique opportunity to ‘re-connect’ people to the waterfront. The Planning Department (PlanD) of the Hong Kong Special Administration Government (the Government) commissioned AECOM Asia Company Limited (AECOM) to undertake the Urban Design Study for the Wan Chai North and North Point Harbourfront Areas – Feasibility Study (the Study) in January 2015 to work out a sustainable urban design framework and to formulate harbourfront enhancement proposals (HEPs) with planning and design briefs to guide the future developments and harbourfront enhancements for the newly reclaimed land covering the harbourfront stretching from the area west of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) eastward to the proposed waterfront open space adjacent to the Island Eastern Corridor in North Point (Study Area). To ensure timely incorporation of public views, a 2-stage Public Engagement (PE) programme is developed as an integral part of the Study process. The Kadoorie Institute of The University of Hong Kong (HKU-KI) has taken up the PE tasks for this Study. The PE was carried out to establish a transparent and open communication with the general public. 1.2. Study Programme and Public Engagement The Study was undertaken in four phases: (1) Inception and Baseline Review; (2) Formulation of Urban Design Framework and HEPs; (3) Finalization of Urban Design Framework, HEPs, and Formulation of Planning and Design Briefs; and (4) Study Finalization. Figure 1 - Study Programme and Public Engagement Process As an integral part of the Study, the 2-stage PE programme is interwoven into the overall study process as indicated in Figure 1 above. 3 Urban Design Study Stage 1 for the Wan Chai North and North Point Harbourfront Areas Public Engagement Report The objective for the Stage 1 PE is to formulate community-based principles and objectives, with focuses on: gathering public views on the urban design objectives and issues, design objectives, urban design considerations and urban design concepts / framework for the Study Area; and raising the community’s awareness